Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Super Cheap IP router (< $1000)
Message-ID: <1989Apr26.181651.5188@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <8904140206.AA10084@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <15321@bellcore.bellcore.com> <1989Apr19.173729.1669@utzoo.uucp> <15577@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 89 18:16:51 GMT

In article <15577@bellcore.bellcore.com> karn@jupiter.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn) writes:
>>>As an additional aside, polling is the standard technique used in electronic
>>>telephone switches. Imagine an interrupt-driven switch when all the phones
>>>come off-hook simultaneously...
>>
>>Little birds tell me, actually, that it is not unheard-of for some electronic
>>phone switches to misbehave badly in this situation...
>
>Yes, things do slow down -- BUT -- if you wait long enough you will
>eventually get a dial tone...

Context implied that the little birds' phrase "misbehave badly" did not
mean just "respond slowly".  The implication was that not all phone switches
are always polled, or at least the polling isn't always done right.  Just
because it's the standard technique doesn't mean everybody is standard...
-- 
Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu